


Wear my Pajamas and Walk in My Dreams

by Chronic_Gay_Panic



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, M/M, Misgendering, Multi, Physical Abuse, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-01-24 10:01:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18569125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chronic_Gay_Panic/pseuds/Chronic_Gay_Panic
Summary: In a world where you see your soulmate in your dreams the moment you are both sixteen, who is Virgil if he doesn't have a soulmate?The far more terrifying question haunting his mind: who is he if he does?





	1. A New Tenant

**Author's Note:**

> alright so I know this isnt all that great but hey its long so thats gotta count for something. i have a whole lot of this already written out, i just wanted to see if there's an audience for it so... i give you the 1st chapter ig. oh! also the title is from shane koyzcan's "visiting hours" i def recommend listening to that if youre into slam poetry

Roman's 16th birthday party wasn't as extravagant as most, but it certainly felt like the most important day of his life. Which, he supposed, it was. Later that night, after everything had been cleaned up from the party, Roman would say goodnight, fall asleep, and dream for the first time in his life. He'd finally meet his soulmate. He wondered idly what they'd be like. He was pretty sure he was gay, but he had no idea if fate, or god, or whatever the hell gave you a soulmate knew that. What if his soulmate was a woman? Would he love her anyway?

Of course he would. That's how soulmates worked. He needed to stop overthinking things; his moms had taken a lot of time to plan this celebration. Speaking of, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, warm and comforting. "Are you nervous?"

He turned to smile at his mother. "A little. Excited more than anything, though." His mom smiled back, more excitement showing on her face then on her son's, before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Roman watched her walk back over to his mama, wearing that smile she reserved for her soulmate. Roman wondered idly if he would love his soulmate as much as his moms loved each other. That was a stupid question, he knew he would, of course he would. That was how soulmates worked.

"Ro, I can hear you thinking." Joan's sharp voice cut through his thoughts, a slight smirk painting the face of his friend. "It's gonna be fine, y'know? You need to stop letting your imagination run wild."

Roman concealed a scoff. "Easy for you to say; you have Talyn and  _I'm_ the one who has to deal with you guys being mushy all the time." Joan smiled despite the words coming out of their friend's mouth, knowing Roman was only nervous.

"You'll be fine, dude; you just need to relax." Roman chuckled, throwing an appreciative grin to his friend.

"Thanks, Joan. Now go make out with Talyn on my moms' couch where I don't have to see you." Joan threw a grin over their shoulder, making a bee-line for the red-haired person already sitting on the couch, a red solo cup in their hand. Roman watched Talyn's face light up as they noticed Joan walking toward them, their entire demeanor changing to open up.

Roman allowed himself a small smile, basking in his friends' happiness for the moment. He couldn't wait to have what they had, what his moms had. He couldn't wait to meet his soulmate.

Later, after he had blown the candles out, and all the party accessories had been cleaned up; after he could finally calm his frantic heart back into a normal pulse, he'd crawl under the covers and wait for sleep to befall him.

\--

Virgil had turned 16 months prior to Roman, having no party to speak of. He hadn't even been sure he'd have a soulmate until the night that Roman walked into his dreamscape. It was comfortable, resembling a living room of sorts, and Virgil had grown quite comfortable spending his sleeping hours there; it was, after all, one of the only places he could escape his daily life. When he woke up, Virgil would have to deal with helping to pay the bills and cook dinner and meet the demands he was to young to be faced with. But here. Here he could just be teenager, unburdened by the trials of his waking life.

It was safe to say that Virgil was caught somewhere in between fear and relief when a stranger wandered into his safe haven. Predictably, his fear won out, and he dove behind a couch before the boy could see him. His heart was racing in his chest, hands shaking as he tried frantically to conceal his breathing. He worried the stranger might hear his heart beating. What if he looked around?  _Of course_ he would look around; that was the first thing Virgil had done when he had arrived. He would search the room, find Virgil, and lament about what a freak he had for a soulmate.

Virgil figured it was safe to come out now, but. If he popped up from behind the couch now, then the stranger would certainly know he had been hiding, and how would he explain  _that_? No, it was too late now; he would just force himself awake and then fall back asleep. He could have a  _do over!_ Just as he was about to enact his plan, Virgil heard a second set of footsteps join the first, and he felt his blood run cold.

Two. He had two soulmates. Two soulmates who could certainly lead perfectly happy lives without him. He had nothing to bring to the table after all; he would only take from the relationship, never give. Virgil felt his heart drop into his stomach as one of the strangers spoke.

"Hiya! I'm Patton! How long have you been here?" Even Virgil felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips at how enthusiastic this other man sounded. As if he was full of nothing but rainbows and puppies.

The first stranger's voice sounded warm, as though he were concealing a smile. "A few moments actually. I assumed I was the first to turn sixteen, which definitely would have been a let down after how much I psyched myself out for it. My name is Roman, by the way." That voice it... sounded familiar, but Virgil couldn't quiet place it.

There was confusion in Patton's voice when he spoke next. "Oh I thought..." That confusion quickly morphed into excitement. "Woah! We have the same birthday! What are the odds of that, huh? Do you think that's a thing? Like soulmates have the same birthdays? I didn't think it was but... Oh but this is so  _cool,_ Roman! I-"

Virgil couldn't handle listening to it anymore; he felt as though he were intruding on a private and intimate moment. He jerked awake, breathing heavily as he sat up in bed. How was this happening? He didn't even think it was possible for  _anyone_ to have more than one soulmate, let alone  _him._ He sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His phone said it was 4 in the morning, which meant that he had two hours before he normally had to be up for school anyway, so it wasn't  _that_ much of a loss.

Virgil stifled a yawn, pulling his binder on before checking his phone, bleary-eyed. Aside from a few tumblr notifications and a text from his coworker reminding of his shift this afternoon, he had no notifications. Typical. Lying back down, Virgil contemplated texting Alastor, his best, and only, friend but thought better of it. Alastor would only agree with the thoughts swirling around in his head, and, while he enjoyed the validation that he wasn't just crazy for thinking what he did, the last thing he needed right now was for someone to agree that his soulmates would be better off without ever having to put up with him. He already knewthat.

Virgil passed the next few hours on tumblr, scrolling through his feed and occasionally re-blogging posts he found that fit into his theme. The next time he looked at the time, it was already 6:15, meaning he had to get dressed if he wanted to catch the bus. Tugging his shirt and pants on, Virgil grabbed his hoodie before racing out the door, catching the bus just before the doors closed and sinking into his regular seat.

It was going to be a long day.

\--

As he walked through the school doors, Virgil spotted Alastor already standing beside his locker, leaning against the wall while he scrolled mindlessly through his phone. It wasn't until Virgil walked toward him that he looked up, eyes immediately drawn to the prominent bruises under Virgil's eyes.

"Well don't you look well rested today, Verge?" 

Virgil scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Thanks a lot, A." Alastor just raised his eyebrows, obviously waiting for an answer to his unspoken question. "Didn't sleep real well last night." Virgil worried his lip between his teeth, thinking before tacking on, "I finally met my soulmates."

Alastor tsk-ed. "Oh, dear. I know that couldn't have been easy for you."

Virgil stiffened, scowl forming. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His friend raised an eyebrow, seeing right through the lie. "Oh just that you have more than one. They'll already be so happy on their own. Besides, why would they ever love you anyway?"

Virgil wanted to be mad at the words coming out of his mouth but. Hadn't he been thinking the exact same thing this morning? He couldn't afford to lose his only friend just for telling him the truth. Before he knew it, tears were welling up in Virgil's eyes.

"Oh, Verge, there's no need to cry now. You know that  _I_ love you. I'm only one that could love you, Dear." Virgil nodded, though the words coming out of Alastor's mouth were doing nothing to calm him. He knew they were true, even though some part of him, deep inside his mind, wanted to fight back against them, wanted to kick and scream and demand to be respected. 

Virgil stayed quiet. Virgil always stayed quiet.

\--

Normally, he'd have zoned out by the end of roll call in his math class, but he was already on edge from everything that had happened in the past few hours. Normally, he'd think nothing of the name that was called near the end of roll call, but it wasn't as if Patton was a very common name. He looked over to see someone that somehow matched the voice he'd heard last night perfectly.

He was dressed in jeans and a grey cat hoodie, practically buzzing with excitement. There was a smile on his face, and he seemed to be talking with a girl seated to his right, black hair falling down her back as she laughed at something he'd said. Patton turned then, seeming to sense the eyes on him, and Virgil ducked his head, face red as he realized he'd been staring.

It was hard to focus on the math work as it was being handed out, knowing one of his soulmates was sat just a few rows in front of him. It became even harder when he heard someone sit down in the chair next to him, and he braced himself, not sure what was coming next.

"Hi, there!" Virgil looked up, surprised to see Patton sitting next to him, hand outstretched as though he were waiting for Virgil to shake it. Virgil was completely and utterly amazed by what Patton's eyes looked like up close, dark chocolate and honey that shone when he smiled. God, Virgil felt like he was suffocating under the weight of all that joy but it felt... nice. Warm and comforting.

With a blush, Virgil realized he had been looking at Patton for far too long, quickly reaching his hand out to shake Patton's. Patton didn't seem to mind though, smile only growing when Virgil's hand met his. "I'm Patton! Um..." Patton paused, face scrunching up as he thought, and Virgil silently prayed he wasn't trying to remember his name from roll call. "Virginia, right?"

Well, so much for prayer.

But there it was, he supposed. Out in the open, the reason his soulmates would surely be better off without him. "Yeah," he muttered, curling tighter into himself. "Do you... need something or whatever?" He winced at how harsh the words sounded, but didn't take them back.

He pretended not to notice how Patton's smile faltered at his tone. "Oh well... you just looked lonely! And I-"

Virgil heard a voice he vaguely recognized as someone from class. "Hey, Patton! Don't sit too close!" He rolled his eyes, trying his best to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach. Patton's brow furrowed slightly.

"Yeah you'll catch the  _disease."_ It was another voice, coming from the same direction as the last.

Patton turned to him, brow furrowed with confusion, but Virgil thought he could see the undercurrent of concern. "Are you sick? You shouldn't be at school if you're sick!" Patton was so genuinely concerned that it would be almost laughable if there weren't a lump in Virgil's throat suddenly.

There was a laugh. "Yeah, she's sick in the head!" Virgil clenched his jaw, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"I'm sorry? I don't understand." Dear, sweet Patton. Too innocent to understand what they were hinting at.

"She's a tra-"

Virgil stood up, already walking toward the door with a mumbled, "bathroom." He couldn't take hearing anymore of what they had to say. Quickly locking the stall door behind him, Virgil leaned against the wall as the tears began to fall.

God, why couldn't he have just been  _normal?_ Everything would've been so much easier if he were just normal. He wouldn't have to hide from his soulmates or put up with the shit he got from his classmates. He could just be  _happy._

He took a deep breath, using the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe away the tears that had spilled over his cheeks. As he was calming the last of his nerves, Virgil heard the bell ring, signalling the end of that class period, and, oh shit, he had left his backpack in his math class. Heaving a sigh, Virgil forced his legs to carry him out of the stall before pushing open the door to the restroom, nearly knocking someone over in the process.

"Holy shit, I'm so sorry. Here, let me- Patton?" Virgil hadn't finished rambling by the time he realized the person he had ran into was, in fact, Patton.

"Hey! I figured you'd need your backpack, so... Here you go, Kiddo!" Patton beamed, holding out Virgil's bag.

"Yeah, uh. Thanks." Virgil expected that to be the end of the encounter, but, to his surprise, Patton continued to chat, even walking in the same direction as Virgil.

"So, where are ya headed?"

"Theatre." Virgil honestly didn't like the class, but he did need to get his fine art credit out of the way, and he was shitty singer at best. Besides, he mostly worked tech, where he could stay safely hidden in the shadows.

"Oh, really? Me, too! See, I met my soulmate last night, and I've seen him coming out of there at the end of this period, so... I wanted to surprise him." Virgil almost stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening.  _Of course._ He had known the voice was familiar, but. Of course his soulmate was Roman Prince, the football captain who also landed the lead in every musical the school put on. He pretty much ruled the entire school. 

Something like concern flitted over Patton's face, as if sensing a change in Virgil's demeanor. "You okay, there, kiddo?"

Virgil forced a smile onto his face. "Yeah, I-I'm fine, Patton." Virgil looked up, seeing that they had already arrived at his class.

"Oh, hey, before we go in, I never got your name." Virgil furrowed his brow. Patton was the one who had  _said_ his name; had he forgotten it? Or maybe...

"Virgil." He looked at the ground as he said it, his whole face feeling as though it were aflame. 

"I like it!" Virgil allowed himself a small smile before pulling open the door to the theatre room.

"Well, go get him, Lover Boy." Patton laughed, running off toward a corner of the room where Virgil could just see Roman's hair, dyed bold rainbow colours, peeking out above the crowd. Virgil could tell the exact moment Roman saw Patton barreling toward him, as Roman turned, crowd parting so that Virgil could see the smile lighting up his face.

Patton all but tackled him, and they both ended up lying on the floor, Patton on top of Roman. There was laughter in Patton's eyes, a toothy grin spread across his face. Virgil couldn't imagine how anyone could  _not_ be in love with him.

And Roman. His happiness wasn't worn as obviously as Patton's, but there was certainly joy behind the glint of amusement in his eyes. He wore a gentler smile, talking to Patton in a low, sweet voice. Virgil felt as though his heart may burst if he continued to look at them in this sweet, intimate position. So found himself shouting at them to "Kiss already!"

This was followed by several whistles and whoops and Patton's giggling before they did, in fact, kiss already. Virgil smiled and turned away, rifling through his bag in search of the script for the play they were rehearsing. By the time he had found it and turned back around, Patton was already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i was supposed to put this up yesterday but i fell asleep lol so here you go

On any other day, Virgil would never have fallen asleep in class, but, as it was, he had hardly gotten any sleep last night, and the lights were dimmed as the actors worked on their monologues for the show. Mr. Sanders hadn't wanted him to work lights until they got the monologues blocked correctly, so he had nothing to do and, inevitably, fell asleep.

When he did, he was transported back to his haven but it felt... empty now. Like something was missing. His search around yielded nothing out of place except... he could have sworn this wall wasn't there before. He walked around the wall to find a hallway that hadn't been there either. At the end of the hallway that hadn't been there, there was a door that hadn't been there.

He walked up to the door, attempting to turn the knob before finding it locked, which made perfect sense he supposed. The door that had magically appeared in his own dream was locked and he couldn't open it. Why wouldn't it be locked. Virgil huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Just as he did, he felt cool metal brush up against his knuckle and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Idly, he wondered if the other two had a key to this room, but cast the thought aside as soon as the door swung open, revealing what resembled a bedroom. The bed was large, covered in a dark purple comforter, and the walls were painted black. There were posters hung up all around the room and a TV hung on the wall opposite the bed.

There was no way this room could have been made for anyone else. Virgil smiled; if the living room were cozy, this bedroom was the epitome of comfort. He could see himself curling up on the bed, TV playing Black Cauldron. And Patton and Roman would be cuddled up with him, his head resting on Patton's chest and curled up in Roman's- Wait.

He couldn't be thinking these things; it would only complicate things, making everything harder than it needed to be. He would use this room only when necessary, and would otherwise stay out of the dreamscape completely.

"-would very much appreciate it if you didn't fall asleep in my class." Virgil blushed, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Yes, sir." Mr. Sanders seemed to look him over before nodding and turning his attention back to the actor now on stage, the boy playing Lysander in the school production of  _A Midsummer Night's Dream._ He had to admit that the guy was impressive, but he had nothing on Roman's talent.

Just as he thought this, Roman stepped up onto the stage, voice ringing out to the far corners of the audience.

" _If we shadows have offended,_

_Think but this, and all is mended,_

_That you have but slumber'd here_

_While these visions did appear..."_

Virgil could lose himself in that voice; it was just so  _warm._ He felt almost comforted by the fact that he could listen to that voice throughout his school years, even if he could never hear it whispering sweet nothings to him as he fell asleep.

\--

By the time he was seventeen, Virgil had taken to calling himself a Loveless, his status as such common knowledge among his school. In truth, this couldn't have been a bigger lie. Not only was Virgil decidedly  _not_ a Loveless, he had three soulmates, each spectacular and amazing in their own ways.

There was Patton, of course, the walking ray of sunshine. Patton had a smile that could melt even the most frozen of hearts, and a laugh that could make the world fall in love with him.

And then there was Roman. Virgil could stare at the muscles in his arms all day, but when he smiled,  _really_ smiled, it was something to behold. Virgil went to every play that Roman was in, even after he himself had stopped working tech, just so he could hear the warmth in his voice without feeling like he was eavesdropping.

That lead him to the newest addition to the dreamscape, Logan. He and Logan had debate together and the other boy was... something of an enigma to Virgil. Sure, listening to him speak was a rush, especially when he got excited about the topic. His voice sped up, hands moving frantically as his cheeks tinged pink. Virgil loved watching him rant about something he was passionate about, but the youngest of his soulmates still seemed guarded in every way. Virgil longed to get to know the  _real_ Logan, the one he hid underneath all of his armour.

But, Virgil supposed, none of that mattered. He wasn't a Loveless, but he might as well have been. Any future he could possibly have with his soulmates would be because they felt obligated to love him, not because they actually wanted to be with him, and Virgil would never be able to live with himself knowing he forced three of the kindest, best people he knew into a life they would hate for his own selfish reasons.

Besides, Virgil already had a boyfriend. Sure, he sometimes said things that weren't the nicest, and there was that one time that he had slapped Virgil but. He was the best Virgil was gonna get, and he was thankful for Alastor every day.

Everything was looking up for Virgil; he even had a system for avoiding his soulmates. He had started working the night shift at his work, sleeping in the afternoon before he had to go into work and locking himself in the bedroom the dreamscape had provided. That got him about four hours of sleep every day, and he made up for the rest of it by running on copious amounts of coffee and chronic anxiety. And everything was going great... until.

"Hey, Kiddo! Me and- oh sorry, Roman, Logan and  _I_ were planning on going out to laser tag this Friday and we need another person to even out the teams. Wanna come?" Patton had asked him after his English class one day. Virgil wanted to say no, he really did, but then Patton smiled  _that_ smile, the one that shone with hopefulness, an undercurrent of concern hiding just beneath the surface, and Virgil realized two things at the same time.

The first, was that he could never, under any circumstances, let Patton down, especially when there was hope written all over his face. 

The second, was that he was completely, unequivocally screwed.

He supposed those two things were the same, though. Whatever. It didn't matter if he thought Patton's laughter was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. It didn't matter if his mind went completely blank every time that smile was directed toward him. It didn't matter if Virgil daydreamed about Patton's lips on his, giggling softly into the kiss.

It didn't matter if Virgil had found himself falling in love with Patton, because Patton was a taken man, no matter how much Virgil pined after him.

"Sure, Pat," Virgil agreed with a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Patton let out a sound Virgil could only describe as a  _squeak,_ bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Great! We're gonna go right after school, and you ride the bus, so you can just ride with us! Oh, it's gonna be so much fun, Virgil; I can't wait!"

Virgil smiled at the ground again, face heating up as rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks. I'll, uh, see you then." And with that, Virgil walked off to his next class, awkwardly leaving Patton to go in his own direction.

His next class happened to be debate, the one hour a day where his anxiety skyrocketed. He loved the thrill of the debate, but also hated the way people stared at him while he talked, the way his opponent looked at him waiting for him mess up; it felt like he was failing before he had ever even finished talking.

Luckily, today was merely a research day, where he'd pick a debate partner and a topic and begin to research the points of his debate. As he walked into the classroom, trying to ignore the way his stomach tied itself in knots at the thought of the upcoming debate.

He sat quietly down in front of a computer, wondering who his debate partner would be. It's not as if it mattered anyway, whoever it was would hate him anyway, whether because he was trans, Loveless, or a mixture of both. He sat quietly as Coach Smith numbered off the students, instructing that the odd number would be picking their partners from a hat, and the even numbers would be picking the debate topic.

When it got to Virgil's turn, he picked a folded up paper out of the hat, not bothering to look at it until he sat back down. When he unfolded the paper, his heart stopped. There, in a tidy scrawl, were printed the words  _Logan Hall._ Virgil couldn't quite tell if his luck was terrible or amazing. Probably a little of both.

After everyone had picked papers out of their respective hats, Virgil walked toward Logan, trying to keep his hands from shaking. "Hi, um, we're- you're-" Virgil sighed, shoving the piece of parchment toward Logan so he could see what Virgil was trying to say.

"Ah, so we are debate partners. I am Logan, as you knew, and our topic is whether or not the death penalty should be allowed. I have to say that this is an... interesting topic, and I look forward to debating it with you." Virgil didn't quite know what to make of the person standing in front of him, dressed in a button down dress shirt tucked into black slacks, a plain black tie completing the ensemble. And the way he talked seemed to embody this as well; succinct and to the point.

"I'm Virg-Virgil." Virgil tripped over the name, not sure if he should use it, but. This was someone Patton was dating, and Virgil couldn't see anyone Patton would associate with making fun of him for something like this.

Logan's eyes seemed to light up, the hint of a smile just barely touching the corners of his mouth. "Ah, one of Patton's friends. He speaks very highly of you; I'm certain we will get along fine." Virgil ducked his head, blush painting his cheeks at that. He hadn't even known Patton spoke about him at all, let alone "very highly." Logan pulled a quarter out of his pocket, resting it on his thumb tucked underneath his index finger.

"Heads or tails?"

Virgil worried his bottom lip between his teeth, a nervous habit, before blurting out, "heads."

Logan flipped the coin, eyes never leaving it as it arched up and dropped back down into his waiting palm. Virgil peered over the edge of Logan's hand to the coin.  _Tails._

Logan had a look of satisfaction, though not smugness. It was more as if everything had gone according to plan than as if he were gloating about a win. "I will take the yes side of the debate, leaving you with the no side. I do apologize for leaving you with the wrong side of the argument; however, I'm sure you understand my reasoning."

"Yeah, 'cause you're afraid of a challenge." Virgil mumbled it under his breath, staring at the floor. He hadn't meant for Logan to hear him, but as soon as he looked up he could see in the other's face that he had.

Just as Virgil opened his mouth to apologize, he caught sight of the glint of amusement in Logan's eyes. "Yes, well, I don't see the point in unnecessarily picking the losing side of the debate." The hint of a smirk painted his lips.

"It's only the losing side if you think you can beat me." For the first time, Virgil saw a smile on Logan's face. There were no teeth, and he smiled more with his eyes than he did his mouth, but it was  _there._ It was there and it was  _wonderful_. Virgil would gladly walk to the ends of the earth just to see that smile.

"May the best man win, Virgil."

"I plan to."

\--

Virgil had the same lunch period as Alastor; B lunch. Every day, after fourth period, he would race to the lunch room, grabbing his free lunch and eating as much of it as his stomach could handle before Alastor would inevitably show up and remind him that he didn't "really need all of that, do you?"

Sure enough, a few minutes after he had sat down with his lunch, Alastor showed up and sat beside him. "Verge, honey, are you really going to eat all of that?"

Virgil ignored the sick feeling in his stomach at the words, silently sliding his lunch tray in front of Alastor, who ruffled his hair affectionately. "There's my good girl."

Virgil's stomach twisted even further at that, but he kept it to himself. The last thing he wanted was to cause another fight; to give Alastor another reason to leave him.

As Virgil was thinking about how to tell Alastor about his Friday plans, Logan walked up to his table. "Virgil, hello. I was thinking that we should meet up at some point to discuss the debate topic. Perhaps during lunch as it seems we have the same- I'm sorry; why aren't you eating?"

Virgil almost laughed at the sudden topic change, Logan's mind going so fast that he hadn't noticed or thought to mention Virgil's lack of food. He probably would have laughed, if Alastor hadn't tightened his hand around Virgil's arm, tight enough that Virgil was certain there'd be bruises later. It was a clear message, and Virgil never disobeyed. "I-I'm just not ver-very hungry."

Logan's brow furrowed, but he didn't comment any further on the topic, instead opting to go back to the original reason for the conversation. "So, would you like to meet me tomorrow during lunch to discuss our debate topic?" Alastor's hand tightened even further, and Virgil thought it best to stay quiet this time, head dropping so he was looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry, but Virginia here can't. She'd rather spend the time with her boyfriend." Alastor's voice was sickly sweet, snake-like smile evident in his voice.

Virgil lifted his head just enough to see a frown on Logan's face. "Odd. He told me his name was Virgil." Virgil hid a smile.

"Yes, well, we'd all like to change our names, I'm sure. Alastor, charmed." Virgil saw Alastor stick his hand out out of the corner of his eye, waiting to see if Logan would take it; testing.

Logan's frown deepened, eyes searching Alastor's face for a moment before he hesitantly reached his hand out to shake Alastor's. "Logan." Alastor smiled, coldy maliciously, before withdrawing his hand.

"Well it's been a pleasure, Logan, but we'd like to get back to our lunch, now." Virgil's entire body stiffened in response to the tone in Alastor's voice, thinly veiled fury. He saw Logan walk away in his peripheral, and his heart sank into his stomach; his only shot at safety escaping.

"So. You've met one of them and didn't tell me?" Virgil's stomach tightened, and he shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets to hide the shaking.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I-I didn't-"

"You didn't what, Virginia? You didn't actually think he'd like you, did you? Verge, I'm the only one that could love you, and you'd do well to keep that in mind." Alastor's voice had a steely edge that set Virgil on edge.

"Y-yeah." Alastor smiled then, no malice behind it this time, and Virgil felt a sense of pride despite himself; Alastor was happy with him. There was a weak smile on his face at the thought. His boyfriend was happy with him and everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls pls pls leave a comment if you read this far ily


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so just be warned that this is most of what I have prewritten. im still obviously gonna try to keep to a schedule but it might slow down a bit. anyway ilyall and as always comment and leave kudos if you read to the end.

When he got home, Virgil was surprised to see his mom on the couch, hair pulled into a messy bun. He rushed to her side, eyes searching up and down her body, searching for anything out of the ordinary. His sister was at work still; she often worked double shifts to keep the lights on, which meant it was just him, his mom, and the mountain between them.

"Mom? What're you doing out of bed?" She looked over at him, eyes slightly glazed.

"Vernon? Vernon I'm scared. What- what's going on?" Her voice shook and Virgil felt the lump in his throat.

"No, mom, it's me. Your son. Dad's not- Dad's not here." His mom squinted at him, eyes searching for some recognition long forgotten. 

"Vernon, why- why are you saying that?"

Virgil felt like screaming. When had his life gotten this unfair? "Mom come on. You need to get back to bed." He reached toward her arm, aiming to help her stand and walk back to her room, only for the woman to flinch away from him. He could hear his own heart break in the moment he beheld the absolute terror in the eyes of the woman who raised him. He felt his chin start to tremble as the lump in his throat finally gave way, and he turned his head. Turned his away from his mother.

Because he couldn't let her see him cry. Because he had to be strong for her. And it hit him full-force how fucking  _unfair_ it was. Because  _she_ was supposed to be the one comforting  _him. She_ was supposed to be the one hiding her tears from  _him._ It was fucking unfair and he  _hated_ her for it.

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder. "Virgil?" Virgil let out a soft breath, allowing himself to be turned to face his mother. He swallowed his tears and forced a shaky smile onto his face.

"Hi, mom." Because it  _was_ his mom, for just a split second her eyes were clear; her mind was sane. These oh so precious moments; so few and far between.

"Virgil, why are you crying?" Her body was still trembling, stillness being one of the first things the disease had taken from her.

"I'm- I'm-" He cut himself off with a sob, curling up on the couch next to his mom. Shaking arms wound themselves around his body, and he let himself melt into the hold. "I missed you."

She planted a kiss on top of his head, before squeezing him tight one last time. "I missed you too, Vernon."

Virgil pushed down another bout of tears. "Let's get you to bed, Mom." This time she simply cooperated with a nod, allowing Virgil to support her failing body on the walk back to her bedroom.

Every day, the mountain between them looked just a bit bigger.

\--

Virgil skid to a stop on his bike outside of the convenience store he worked at, hopping off and running toward the doors the second he had his bike chained to the bike rack.

His manager didn't even look up from her paperwork. "You're late, Virgil." 

He winced inwardly, already knowing that the clock read 20 past the start of his scheduled shift. "I'm sorry. My mom was in a mood."

Her lips tightened, giving her the same look everyone had when his mother was mentioned: one part pity and ninety nine parts "not my problem." "Don't let it happen again."

Virgil simply nodded, already clocking in at the register. It would be a long shift.

After a few hours consisting of little more than road trippers looking for a restroom and a few pot heads looking to cure late night munchies, Virgil's shift had ended just as terrible as it had begun, and he was practically falling asleep at the register. After a quick goodbye to his coworkers, he used his one free drink a shift to get the largest coffee the store offered before hopping back onto his bike and pedaling hard in the direction of the high school. It was about an hour bike ride to the school and his shift ended at six in the morning; exactly one hour before the start of his school day. 

On a good day, he was a few minutes early for his first class by the time he arrived, leaving just enough time for him to speed through the halls to his class, sliding into the seat and making it to his first class by the seat of his pants. As it was, today was a day that seemed to be out to stand against Virgil at every turn. 

He was a few minutes late already once he pulled his bike into the rack, having to practically sprint down the hallways and bust into his first period class, turning every head as he pushed open the door, panting and out of breath. His cheeks burned as he took in everyone's stares; the teacher's resigned sigh of someone who had already found him lacking before finding the time to learn his story, and he made his way to his normal seat, Patton already sitting in the seat beside him.

The two had grown close in the last few months, mostly, Virgil was sure, due to some misplaced sense of obligation and pity in the other boy. 

"V!" Virgil winced a bit at the volume and tone of the exclamation, a headache already forming in the back of his head. Patton pulled a face and lowered his voice. "Sorry. Rough night again?"

Virgil huffed a laugh under his breath. "Same as always, Pat."

"You should really get more sleep, Virgil." Patton had that look on his face; determination and fatherly concern. Virgil was certain he wouldn't let the matter go.

"Okay, Pat," And then, because he really didn't look satisfied with that, "I will, I promise." His stomach twisted at the lie, but he knew it was the only way the boy would let the matter drop.

Sure enough, a pleased smile found its way onto Patton's face, Virgil's heart melted, whether that smile was the product of a lie was suddenly irrelevant; Virgil would walk to the ends of the earth to see it regardless.

A blush rose on his cheeks, and he looked down at his own hands as he realized he'd been staring at his soulmate for a beat too long. Awkward silence filled the space for a moment before Patton leaned over to his desk.

"So... What're your dreams like?"

Virgil stiffened in his seat, mind racing for something to say. Patton had to have noticed, because he was talking again before Virgil could fully process it. "Not that you have to tell me of course, it's just that I was wondering is all. And of course Lo-Lo would  _love_ to know, even though he'd never ask. 'Scientific Curiosity' and all that." Patton seemed to glow with pride when he mentioned his boyfriend; his  _soulmate._ It made Virgil wanna run; it made him wanna crawl into that sunlight and never leave.

He shrugged noncommittally. "I don't," he mumbled to the ground. So many lies. So much shame to carry on his back. But worth it, ultimately, if his soulmates never have to carry the burden of himself on their own backs.

Patton's brow furrowed, and he seemed to be about to say something else, but the teacher's voice interrupted shrilly. "Mr. Walker, Ms. Moore, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Virgil simply mumbled something to the floor, face aflame, while Patton shook his head, still smiling.

The rest of his class was spent pretending to pay attention and doing his best to ignore Patton's attempts to catch his eye, grabbing his bag and all but bolting out of the door once the bell rung.

His next class was English, meaning he didn't have to try to ignore Patton until after class, when he'd hang around outside the classroom, waiting to walk Roman to his theatre class afterwards. Luckily, however, he didn't have to deal with Roman and his gorgeous smile and infuriatingly soothing voice during the class; the thespian sat all the way on the other side of the room, as if to be as far away from Virgil as possible (not that Virgil could really blame him; sometimes he wanted to crawl out of his own skin just to get away from himself).

Or rather, Virgil wouldn't have had to deal with him if his English teacher hadn't decided that today was a great day for the students to randomly switch seats, citing a need for them to socialize outside of their comfort zones. There wasn't anything much further outside of his comfort zone than this, Virgil thought earnestly as he tried not to stare at Roman's broad shoulders and chest as he sat in front of him. Of course, since everything in the universe seemed to fucking with him today, Virgil's staring didn't go unnoticed.

"See something you like, Hot Topic?" Roman gave a wink paired with a smirk that just barely lifted itself into a smile. His voice still held the barest fraction of an accent, and Virgil felt certain that his heart would burst from that alone. His face burned and he mumbled something about liking Roman's shirt, as if that were an adequate excuse. Roman smiled then, genuine happiness shining through.

"Oh, it's my boyfriend's! It's so soft and it smells like him too!" Roman seemed to glow and Virgil felt himself aching for a place in that glow; a place he had no claim to but pined after anyway. So, he simply smiled politely, if a bit tightly, and returned to his work.

It would be a long day if this was the luck he had to look forward to.

\--

Once he got to his debate class, Logan was already sitting down in front of a computer, various websites pulled up about the death penalty throughout history. He looked up, however, as soon as Virgil walked in, eyes lighting with some emotion Virgil couldn't quite place. 

"Virgil, greetings. I was beginning to be concerned you would not show up to class." Virgil pulled a face, only barely suppressing a nervous laugh.

"The bell hasn't even rung yet, L."

Logan furrowed his brow, peering up at the clock. "It appears so." A slight pink dusted his cheeks and if he didn't know any better, Virgil would say that Logan was embarrassed.

"Everything good?"

Logan pursed his lips. "Well, I'd hardly say  _everything;_ there are only a limited number of things in the world which are 'good,' as you say, also-"

Virgil cut off his rambling with a smile. "That's not- I meant like, are you okay?"

Logan's blush darkened ever so slightly, and Virgil wanted to kiss him more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. "Ah, yes, I am well, simply a bit preoccupied."

Virgil cocked an eyebrow but simply sat beside the boy, companionable silence broken only by the sound of keys clacking at the computer.

A sigh broke Virgil's concentration after a few moments, looking over to see Logan staring at the computer, lips pursed. "Alright what's up?"

His expression got tighter for just a second, as if trying to recall something, before his eyes lit up. "Ah, I know that one. Roman remains adamant that I learn to understand at least some modern slang," He added at Virgil's furrowed brow. "To answer your question, I find myself moderately distressed. See, Patton seems to be of the belief that he has done something to offend you in some way. I have assured him that it seems highly improbable given the evidence he has collected, yet he still remains resolute. I believe it would do far more to put him at ease if he were to hear it from you."

Virgil didn't miss the flicker of warmth in his eyes at the mention of Patton, but despite it, his blood ran cold. He may have enough self control to keep from ruining his soulmate's happiness, but he was just selfish enough that he'd be damned if he'd do anything that would keep them out of his life. "Sure thing; I'll tell him when I see him tomorrow."

Logan simply pursed his lips again. "That will not suffice."

Virgil tensed, lungs suddenly and inexplicably filling with cotton. Logan must have noticed, because he quickly tacked on, "Patton seemed quite distressed and I believe continuing in such a mood for a full twenty-four hours could impact his mental health. I would suggest a text message."

Virgil's cheeks burned. "I -uh, I don't have his number?"

"That is... odd. I was under the impression that the two of you were quite close."

Virgil was sure his entire face was red, and he had to consciously stop himself from snapping at Logan to mind his own business. Had Patton said that they were close? No, that was impossible. "I mean I'm not sure- just like, yeah I like him but- he's never said-" Virgil stopped his own rambling and took a deep breath, sure he would never recover from the mortification. But when he looked up, Logan was simply watching him, regarding him with subtle warmth and patience. "I never asked," was all he ended up mumbling.

"Hm. Well, in any case, I would be more than happy to provide his cell phone number."

Virgil simply nodded his thanks as Logan wrote the number down, cheeks still burning. "Yeah, uh, thanks."

The bell rung at that exact moment and Virgil silently thanked whatever happened to be looking out for him as he bolted out the door, paper with Patton's number on it almost crumpled in his hand. He had started out running, but soon dread curled in his stomach and he was trudging toward the cafeteria. It was Wednesday today, which meant he'd have to tell Alastor about his plans for Friday evening soon enough. He knew there was no point in prolonging the inevitable, but he couldn't help but shudder at the thought of telling his boyfriend that he planned to spend an evening with his soulmates.

He took one deep breath and shoved the cafeteria doors open with the weight of all wordly fear on his shoulders.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the shit hits the fan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so this chapter does get quite a bit darker than the other ones, we do see more physical and emotional abuse than the past chapters have carried. so be warned it is pretty dark and if youre sensitive to abuse pls dont read.

When he opened the door to the cafeteria, his boyfriend was already there, sickly sweet smile pointed in Virgil's direction. His stomach turned.

"Virginia. It's such a nice day, is it not? Why don't we go for a walk and enjoy it, hm?" It was a nice day, sun shining in through the cracks in the leaves, but Virgil felt as though it were the calm before the storm.

Virgil felt his body shaking. The last time Alastor got him alone (exposed, terrified,  _unsafe_ ), it hadn't ended well for Virgil. He swallowed hard and simply followed Alastor out the doors and to a secluded spot behind the gym.

Alastor eyed him up and down once. "I overheard a conversation today. A few people who were planning on going laser tag this Friday. Simple enough, except that they were planning on bringing along a 'Virgil.'" He spat the name out, as if it had left a bad taste in his mouth. "Any idea who these people might be?" Alastor's eyes were boring into him and he couldn't help but shrink into himself.

Virgil's throat was suddenly dry and he was finding it suspiciously hard to breath. "I-I was going to tell you I just- I forgot yesterday and that's as long as I've known I swear and-" Virgil felt more than saw the fist connect with his face, body crumpling to the floor as he held a hand up to his stinging face. The first thing to register was the shock at being hit; Alastor had- he had  _promised._ But that was soon forgotten under the pain and the sound of ringing in his ears.

There were tears running down his face and it felt like every breath was more of a struggle than the last one. Alastor reached a hand toward him and Virgil flinched before he could stop himself. He knew it was a mistake once he glimpsed the pure fury written across his boyfriend's features.

Alastor tutted at him. "Verge, you know this hurts me more than it hurts you. I simply don't want you to be hurt, darling. That's all they'll do."

Virgil nodded, tears still running down his cheeks. In that moment his traitorous mind supplied otherwise, however. Said that they were  _soulmates._ That anything would be better than this. But... he couldn't let those thoughts stay for more than a moment. Alastor was simply looking to protect him; simply didn't want to see him get hurt the way his mom had been when his dad had left.

"I-I-I know. 'M sorry." Sobs still wracked his chest, but Alastor's eyes softened, arms holding out to Virgil's still shaking form.

"I know, Darling. Come, let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" Virgil only nodded pathetically as his head spun with the effort of pulling his own body off the ground. Alastor's outstretched hand was an anchor for him to hold onto as the world around him tilted and he fought the urge to puke.

That would have been the end of that, had Roman not found a seat near the entrance to the cafeteria during his lunch period, perfectly situated to notice the pair walking in the doors, Virgil clinging to Alastor with the side of his jaw already darkening to sickly shade of purple. Close enough that he could feel the panic and fear coming off of Virgil in waves, boiling his own blood to a degree of fury. He was on his feet before he could think better of it, stalking towards the bathroom Alastor had lead Virgil toward.

It would have been a scene of domesticity to anyone else. Virgil, sat on the lip of the sink while his boyfriend pressed soothing gel and bandages to his bruising face. But- there! in his eyes! -that tell-tale glint of terror. The same shields that Roman's Abuela had worn in the years before Abuelo died. That look that Roman had always been too young to understand, and maybe he still was, but one thing he did understand was that he wanted to  _kill_ the man who was standing in front of Virgil.

He must have been staring for longer than he realized, because the next thing he knew, Alastor had turned to him with a snake-like grin. "Can I help you?"

Roman fought through his rage to muster a smile of his own. "Sure thing!" His voice was laced with false cheeriness, only an undercurrent of the cool fury that was slowly devouring him. "If you could just step away from J Dee-lightful over there, we'd be on our way."

Alastor's mouth twisted itself into scowl. "I don't see how you have any right to tell me what to do with  _my_ girlfriend."

Roman had to clench his jaw around his anger at the words, and he was certain his eyes were blazing by now. The only thing that made him reel it back in was the way that Virgil cowered at the look on his face, half hidden behind his boyfriend. "Of course." He bowed his head in mock apology, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Why don't we ask Virgil, then, what he wants?" All eyes turned to the small huddled form.

Virgil blanched, wringing his hands and biting at the skin of his lips. Roman had to strain to hear the soft "please leave" come from his mouth as he stared at the ground. A surge of victory.

"See! Now-"

"No." Roman could hear Virgil speak fairly clearly that time, though a wave of confusion did hit him. "You." It lessened his confusion, but only marginally. It was so, so clear that he was being hurt. It pained Roman and he felt a wave of possessiveness usually reserved for his boyfriends, but shook it off. If Virgil wanted to hurt himself; if he wanted to subject himself to whatever Alastor was doing then... fine. That was just  _perfect._

He threw a nonchalant "whatever," over his shoulder as he obediently strode out of the room, heart aching in his chest. 

He jumped when a voice called out to him as soon as he stepped foot out of the restroom. "Roman, honey, don't you think I've tried that stunt?"

He turned to find a figure standing just outside the doorway to the restroom, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the biggest Starbucks drink Roman had ever seen. He rolled his eyes. "Hey, Rem. What in the world are you doing out here?"

Remy gave a shrug as he stepped out of the shadow. "The only thing I can. Making sure V doesn't get himself killed."

Roman felt his blood begin to boil again. "You-You know?! You know and you don't do anything but-but stand around and-"

"You saw how well he takes it when someone tries to intervene." Roman could almost see Remy's eyes narrow beneath those god damned sunglasses. "So don't go pulling that self righteous shit on me, Roman. I don't see you leading the charge, do I?"

Roman knew rationally that none of this was Remy's fault, but he needed  _somewhere_ for all of the anger to go. So what if he was picking a fight? It wasn't like Remy couldn't handle his own. "I tried! Unlike you, sitting on your ass waiting for a life or death emergency before you finally decide to get off it!"

Remy's voice took on the kind of cold fury that made even Roman blanch. "You think I haven't tried? You think I wasn't the  _first_ in line to try when he was fourteen and that- that  _pinche pendejo_ had him convinced he was nothing?  Or when he had just turned sixteen and he laid a hand on V for the first time? That burn scar on the side of his face? It was to match the bruise he left on Virgil." A dark chuckle and a shrug. "Might've gone a bit overboard, but he didn't do it again." His demeanor stiffened a bit more as he looked toward the closed door. "Looks like he might need another reminder though."

Roman's heart started pounding harder than before, adrenaline pushing through his veins in preparation for a fight. "He did that?" A small nod was all it took before Roman was stalking back toward the bathroom door, the only thought running through his mind to  _protect._ An outstretched hand pushed back against his chest before he could  make it to the door. "Wha-"

"Easy, Babe. You storming in there won't change anything."

He was quickly growing frustrated with the whole situation, letting out a low growl. "I have to do  _something!_ I can't just let-" A loud crash coming from the restroom interrupted the conversation and there was only a look between them before they were both rushing in toward the perceived danger.


	5. Chapter5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theres quite a bit of violence in this one, as well as talk of past abuse. the abuse triggers still stand. im sorry for my spanish, i took 3 years and got everything i didn't know off of spanishdict so uhhh, sue me. also ik i just uploaded yesterday but i dont want this to just sit around tbh sooo,, semi short chapter update

Virgil was cowering in front of a seething Alastor, his phone cracked and broken lying across the restroom. Roman saw red, and the next thing he knew he was crouched on the ground, blood on his fists as they connected with Alastor's face below him. He was vaguely aware of hands on his shoulders pulling him back and a voice calling his name, but he was too furious to care.

It wasn't until Alastor had stopped moving beneath him that his fists stopped, the satisfaction short lived as it turned to panic, because  _Alastor wasn't moving._ He had only meant to hurt the man not, not kill him, and  _oh my god, had he killed someone?_

He wasn't even aware that his lungs weren't working until there was someone in front of him, gently instructing on how to breathe to get his chest to stop aching. He didn't recognize Virgil sitting in front of him until his breathing had evened out and he could finally focus on the world around him instead of his spiraling thoughts. 

There were tears in Virgil's eyes, but he seemed far too calm given the situation. "He's not dead, Roman."

Roman could almost cry with relief at those words. He wasn't dead. Roman wasn't a murderer. 

A low whistle from the corner of the bathroom where Remy was standing. "You really did a number on him though, huh?" Then, in a lower register as if afraid that Virgil would hear, he tacked on, "¿Pero, el cabrón tomará su ira en su novio, sí?"

Roman simply narrowed his eyes, though even he wasn't quite sure who exactly he was angry with. He glanced once at Virgil before answering, "No dejaré pasar."

Remy just scoffed and walked out the door, throwing a look Roman couldn't quite decipher over his shoulder as he went. Roman threw a hand over his face and sighed. "God my moms are gonna kill me."

Virgil was squinting at him when he looked over after a beat of silence. "What?"

"That's- you almost killed someone; you almost killed my boyfriend, and you're worried about how your parents are going to react?" Roman could only shrug. "God, you're- I-"

He couldn't help the glare he sent Virgil's way. "I didn't  _mean_ to, Count Woe-laf."

"And those  _stupid_ nicknames; lay off!"

"I came in here to help  _you,_ you know!"

Virgil sneered at him, "I didn't ask you to! Don't you understand how much worse you made it?"

There was genuine fear on his face, Roman noted. "I'll-I'll help. I'll-"

"Just- you've helped enough. Stop helping, Roman. Please."

Roman felt his heart drop into his stomach and he started to make his way to the door. "Wait."

He could hear the wince in Virgil's voice but turned anyway. "I'll- It was self defense. He hit you first, I saw it."

"He didn't- why would you...?"

"Just, one favour. Tell Patton I said I wasn't upset with him. My phone... broke." He glanced over at what used to be his phone lying on the floor, broken beyond repair. "I was gonna text him, but... Anyway, just. Tell him, please?"

 Even despite the situation, Roman couldn't help but lay on his signature charm. "Anything to preserve a gentleman's honour." A slight dip of his head was all it took, and Virgil was blushing slightly despite the incredulous look on his face.

"Just- get outta here, Princey."

Roman smiled; he was still counting it as a win in his book.

\--

Admittedly, Roman was a little on edge for the first half of his Theatre class after lunch, until the frustrated voice of the Vice Principal rang out over the intercom, "Would Roman Prince please report to the principal's office."

Roman was sure it was only anxiety and adrenaline that let his legs carry him toward the office as soon as his teacher motioned for him to go. His palms felt clammy, and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. He idly wished his boyfriends were here to calm him down and tell him everything was okay. Logan would spout off inane facts about whatever he had happened to have been researching lately, and Patton would shower him with hugs and nicknames and smiles so sweet you could get a cavity from them alone. Virgil would- Virgil?

Roman frowned at himself. Why would he be putting the emo in the same line of thought as he was putting his soulmates? He barely knew the guy, even if he did have the most beautiful green eyes Roman had ever seen. God those  _eyes;_ Roman wanted to- This was  _not_ a road he could go down. He loved his boyfriends- his  _soulmates._ He wanted to spend the rest of his life with them, not some guy he just met, no matter how cute it was when a slight pink dusted his cheeks and he ducked his head to hide a small smile.

Roman blinked once before realizing he was standing in front of the office door. How long had he been standing here? He sighed heavily before figuring it didn't really matter all that much and shoving open the door, finding the Vice Principal, Virgil, and Alastor already in the office. Virgil sat hunched over next to Alastor, biting at his thumb nail as he stared blankly toward the opposite wall. Roman felt a pang in his chest when he jumped at the noise of the door slamming back shut a bit harder than Roman had intended. He felt the need to go over and hold the boy until the shaking stopped.

Alastor smiled that snake-like smile of his, though the intent was dampened a bit by the terrible bruising already covering most of his face. "Prince." He looked Roman up and down once, as if sizing him up. Roman scoffed at the thought; Alastor sizing him up as if he hadn't already lost one fight with him. "Nice of you to grace us with your presence."

Roman simply took a seat, doing his best to school his face into a neutral expression. "It is, isn't it?" 

He ignored the glare he felt Alastor shoot his way in favour of studying the anxious boy sitting next to him. He was curled into himself, as though trying to make himself as small as possible, and Roman felt guilt toward his part in that anxiety.

"Mr. Prince, I trust you understand why you've been called in here," the Vice Principal, Mr. Stevens, asked.

Roman simply nodded, turning his eyes back toward Mr. Stevens.

"Very well. I have gathered Mr. Jones's description of the events, and I would like to hear your side of the story. Ms. Moore claims to be a witness, so I have allowed her to stay, however is this makes you uncomfortable she may leave."

"No, I'm okay with it." A quick glance over at Virgil, and despite his nerves, he managed to give Roman a quick nod, and in that moment, Roman knew exactly what he had to do. "It was a fight. I hit him first and he went down. I'm the only one at fault here, sir."

He resolutely ignored Virgil trying to catch his eye with an incredulous look as Mr. Jones nodded. "Your stories match, so I see no need to continue this conversation. I have taken the liberty of calling both of your parents." He turned his attention fully to Roman. "Mr. Jones's parents have chosen not to press charges, but you will still be suspended through the rest of the week, as well as have a week of lunch detention once you return. You may go now."

They all stood at once, Roman immediately making a bee line for the door towards the receptionist's desk.

His mother stood at the desk, signing papers about Roman's suspension and muttering under her breath in Spanish.

Roman walked up to her with quiet steps, knowing she'd already be in a bad mood. "Hola, Mamì."

She looked over and sighed. "Hola, niño problemático."

She turned back toward the receptionist before giving her a polite smile and leading Roman out the door and into her car. The first few minutes of the car ride were tense and silent, until Roman's mother spoke up.

"What happened, Roman?"

He took a deep breath and a few seconds to collect his thoughts. "Do you remember what Abuela was like before Abuelo died?"

His mother stiffened, obviously more concerned by the mention of a topic that she usually locked far away from conversation than she was by the sudden change of subject. "I do."

"I have a... friend who looks at his boyfriend the same way Abuela looked at her husband. I can't- I couldn't just stand by and watch."

She nodded once before asking, "you hit him?"

Roman only nodded.

Smiling slightly she glanced over at her son. "Good."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey yall, im rlly sorry this took so long; ive had work and been sick but its up now!!! im vv excited to drop this new character shes a sweetheart sooo, enjoy

Virgil was left dumbfounded the rest of the day, stuck wondering why in the world Roman would do something so  _stupid._ Maybe so that he would owe Roman? But what could Roman possibly want from him? What could he give that Roman did not already have? It was useless and he had tired himself out by the time the bus stopped at his house and he had trudged up the steps.

The faint sound of music could be heard through the door, so Virgil knew his sister must be home as his feet carried him through the front door.

Sure enough, as soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Virgil could see Ellie standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot as the scents of mashed potatoes and baked chicken drifted towards his nose. He smiled for what he thought might be the first time that day; his sister's cooking always reminded him of childhood and simpler times.

She turned to him and gave a smile of her own. "Hey, V. Staying for dinner?"

He nodded and kicked off his shoes. "Seems like we finally got the same day off. My white whale."

She scoffed a bit before turning back to the potatoes. "It's really not that uncommon."

Rolling his eyes, Virgil had to disagree. Even though Ellie wouldn't let him take another job, she worked two herself, and Virgil only took one day off a week, which meant that all three of their jobs had to align just right for them both to get the same day off. Even though it had happened a few times before, Virgil still thought it was rare enough to qualify for his white whale spot.

His hands faltered at the hem of his hood for just a moment before gathering the courage to yank it down; no use hiding something from someone who was just going to find it anyway. His sister glanced over and pursed her lips, but said nothing else, letting the matter drop for the moment being.

"Set the table, would you? I'm almost done."

Virgil agreed before grabbing the plates and silverware from the cupboard and laying them out. They always set four places because in the rare case they were able to drag his mom out of her room, she would throw an absolute fit if they hadn't left a spot at the table for her soulmate; a bit too defensive to not know that he wouldn't be coming.

Virgil was rarely able to get her to come out for dinner, though his sister often had better luck. She was older and therefore more imprinted in her memory; nothing personal, Virgil often had to remind himself. Either way, neither of them had any luck that evening, and dinner ended up being between them and two empty chairs

Conversation was easy as always, Ellie content to talk and Virgil content to listen to whatever drama his sister had found herself in this time; a boy she had met, or how exactly her coworkers were pushing her last nerve this week. It was easy, almost reminding him of his childhood and a time before he had to work toward paying bills and putting food on the table, until Ellie's conversation got noticeably stilted before stopping altogether.

"Ellie?"

"I dropped out of college for you, V."

His brow furrowed, unsure of the sudden change in topic. "I didn't ask-"

She held a hand up. "I'm not done. I dropped out of school so that you could live a semi-normal life, Virgil, not so that you could get hit by a man who claims to love you."

"I never- You don't-" He felt a sudden surge of protectiveness toward his boyfriend, but there really wasn't much he could do without lying, something he and his sister had vowed to never do to each other.

"He did it before, I never had any doubts he would do it again, but you never listened to me. I would kill to have a soulmate; you have three."

"I didn't ask for them. I don't want them. You know how I feel about soulmates." He clenched his jaw against a scowl.

"I know that you refuse to tell them how you feel. Why, V? What're you afraid of? That they'll say no?"

Virgil couldn't answer, because that wasn't what he was afraid of, not really. He knew that if he asked, if he told them who he was and how he felt that they'd say yes, but was that really what he wanted? For them to say yes just because they felt obligated to? And then be saddled with him for the rest of their lives? It wasn't fair for any of them, and besides they were  _happy,_ even if he wasn't, and that's what mattered.

Virgil didn't even realize he was crying until a gentle hand brushed a tear away from his cheek.

"I'm not saying it has to be now; I'm not saying it has to be ever, but I am saying that you need to take a good, hard look at this relationship and decide if this is the way you wanna spend your life." Virgil looked into those eyes, the exact same as his eyes reflected back at him but with a hundred times the caring; a hundred times the kindness, and felt as though he would burst, as though he would finally shatter into a million glass pieces no one could put back together even if they wanted to.

His fight or flight instinct was in full gear before he could properly respond to the situation, and his legs were carrying him out into the cool evening air. He walked about ten blocks before the rain started, and Virgil finally felt justified in his urge to cry until he couldn't tell which tears were his own and which were the sky's.

He cried for his father, who had fled before getting the chance to see his own children grow up. He cried for his mother, who had seen her children grow up, but remembered it no more than as a passing dream. For his sister who had gone to sleep every night since she was sixteen crossing her fingers  for the off chance that she had somehow managed to overlook her soulmate for eight fucking years. He cried  for himself, for all the dates he missed, all the kisses he was never a part of, for all the time he was never getting back.

Virgil cried until he felt that his body had no more tears to shed, until he felt that even if he did manage to break it would be okay because it wouldn't be because of that terrible weight in his chest, and then he headed back towards the comfort of his front door.

\--

The next day, was sort of a blur to Virgil; he had gotten back late enough that he didn't feel safe in going to sleep, out of fear that he'd run into one of the others before he could make his escape to the comfy bedroom he had started to think of as his home away from home. His body was probably about seventy percent caffeine but Virgil couldn't bring himself to care as he sipped on his sixth cup that morning and walked straight into a wall.

Or rather, Virgil thought it was a wall until the wall said "ouch," and Virgil looked up and the wall had a coffee stain on its blue shirt, and a head, and was Patton. His eyes widened as his brain caught up to what had happened.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, Pat, I didn't mean to; I just-"

Patton cut him off with gentle laughter. "It's fine kiddo, just surprised me is all. I'll just change into my cat hoodie; Lo-Lo has to let me wear it now."

Even Virgil couldn't help but let out a small scoff, and Patton's nose crumpled up in that adorable way it always did when he got Virgil to laugh.

Patton squinted at his face for a second, and Virgil panicked as he tried to pull his hoodie over his face as discreetly as possible, but it was too late; Patton had already seen, and immediately jumped into Dad Mode.

"Kiddo, what happened? Are you okay? You should go see a doctor about that, it looks really bad!"

Virgil smiled slightly. "I'm all good, Pat, nothing to worry about." And although his point was damaged by the fact that a wave of dizziness hit him and he stumbled back a bit, Patton seemed to have already found a new target for his worry. 

"And you look so tired! You promised to get rest!" He pouted.

"I know, I'm sorry; I just didn't get in until late is all." Virgil's brain was screaming at him that Patton hated him for breaking a promise, and his headache was returning full force. Patton pouted for a second more before relenting.

"Alright just- try to get some more rest, Virgil. You look like a ghost." Virgil certainly  _felt_ like a ghost, so he could only imagine that it was a fair comparison.

He nodded, and started to walk away, before Patton caught his attention again. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Virgil turned back around to see Patton holding a phone out in his direction. "Ro said to give this to you, he got in a fight and got suspended." Virgil's stomach curled and he thought he might puke, but Patton's face held no indication that he knew Virgil was the reason Roman was suspended. What game was he playing at?

A shaking hand reached out to take the phone, as though afraid it might be some cruel prank and Patton would snatch it away at the last second, laughing about the look in Virgil's eyes, but Patton simply gave an encouraging smile and kept his hand steadily holding out the phone.

Virgil mumbled a thanks as Patton made a beeline for the restroom to change his shirt. Virgil let a small smile find its way onto his face at the thought of how Logan would react to Patton's cat hoodie; it was no secret that he held no affection toward the garment. He sat at his desk before carefully pressing the home button on the phone (he had never had a smart phone before), still half expecting to be some sort of joke, and surprising himself when the phone opened without a pass code.

The background was the picture that came with the phone, but three numbers were programmed into it, under "Princey," "Padre," and "Microsoft Nerd." Virgil huffed a bit, but couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. There was one notification in the text messages, so Virgil clicked on the icon.

From: Princey

im sorry for beating up ur bf even tho he deserved it : (

Virgil smiled at the text, sure that Logan had complained about the way he types more times than Virgil could count.

To: Princey

bring me a coffee and we're even

Biting at his lip, Virgil hesitated before pressing send, hoping that Roman wouldn't think he was being ungrateful. The three dots that showed up almost immediately sent a pang of anxiety through him, mind running though every worst case scenario.

From: Princey

what do i get if i bring 2 ; )

Virgil hid a laugh at that; it was just like Roman to turn this into a flirting opportunity.

To: Princey

a semi-functional human human being. seriously tho, thanks, Princey

That was the last message he sent before the bell rang, and he shoved the phone into his pocket, doing his best to pay attention despite the headache still pounding at his temples. It would be a long day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil gets a bit of advice from an outside source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea yeah ik "alexander you took forever on this chapter and its so short" yeah thats all true but we dont need to say it out loud.  
> in all honesty, i am sorry. this chapter did not wanna be written and ive been very busy with work and im going on a trip soon i been getting ready for that
> 
> oh! also if you read this go follow @dukesdeodorant on instagram i honestly have no idea who this kid is but they been spilling tea lately sooo

Virgil had to fight to stay awake during his classes, having decided it was too risky since Roman wasn't in school at the moment and could, hypothetically, already have been sleeping. It was a long shot, sure, but not one that Virgil was willing to take any chances on. By the time lunch had rolled around, Virgil was completely and utterly exhausted, not even bothering to hurry towards the cafeteria as he trudged forward, pulling the phone out of his pocket.

From: Princey

come to the office i brought u coffee

From: Princey

im wearing the worst yellow shirt and jeans

From: Princey

also ive transformed into a 4'11 mexican woman

From: Princey

dont tell her i said her outfit was terrible

Virgil could only manage a smile at the messages, exhaustion weighing heavy on his mind. He was almost convinced that he fell asleep on the walk to the office, eyes as heavy as his legs.

Admittedly, Virgil was a bit taken aback by the woman who greeted him in the office. She managed to make Virgil feel small in her presence despite being a good six inches shorter than him, her sharp brown eyes sweeping over him. She bore a striking resemblance to her son, but where Roman was all mischievous glee, this woman's face held no room for nonsense, none of the softness her son had showed in her eyes.

"So you are the boy who- ay, ¿como se dice?- enchanted my son?" Virgil felt as though his entire face was aflame, and just as he opened his mouth to contest, the office door opened and both Patton and Logan walked through. The woman's face softened just slightly as she looked at them. 

"Good evening, Mrs. Prince. Roman said that you would be bringing us coffee. He also commented on your outfit in a rather unbecoming manner." Virgil silently thanked whoever was listening that Logan seemed as uncomfortable in the woman's presence as he did, even as Patton was practically vibrating with excitement.

Mrs. Prince simply rolled her eyes a bit before turning to Patton, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Patton, my favourite son, come give me a hug."

Patton laughed, his whole face brightening in a way that made Virgil's heart melt before all but launching himself in the woman's direction, arms  wrapping around her in a bear hug that Virgil longed to be on the receiving end of.

And yeah, he might have been staring for a bit too long, but he didn't think that was basis enough for the knowing and slightly unimpressed look he got from Roman's mom. Hunching his shoulders, he scowled at the ground, slight blush evident on his cheekbones.

Had he not been staring at the ground, Virgil might've noticed the calculating look thrown his way from Logan's direction. He may have even noticed the silent conversation held between Logan and Patton. Were he really observant, he may have noticed the small smile brightening Logan's face.

But Virgil stared at the ground, and he noticed none of these things.

Heart hammering in his chest, Virgil took the coffee that was marked with his name, keeping his eyes mostly trained on the ground, and turned to leave. "Virgil, wait."

It wasn't as if the woman's voice was intimidating; by all accounts she was harmless, but she held herself in a way that Virgil feel intimidated nonetheless. So he stopped in his tracks, turning back around to face her. "I want to talk to you in a moment."

Virgil was sort of skeptical about the existence of a higher being, but he sent up a prayer at that moment just in case. Logan and Patton seemed to get the hint, grabbing their coffees and leaving. Patton threw a knowing look over his shoulder at Mrs. Prince, who simply shooed him out.

Virgil stared at the ground, begging it to open up and swallow him whole. Mrs. Prince motioned for him to move closer, and he did, dragging his feet. The woman squinted at him for a moment before nodding once and removing his hood.

Virgil winced as the bright light stung his eyes. Mrs. Prince clenched her jaw, eyes steeling for a moment before she caught the uneasy look in Virgil's eyes and softened it. "I am not here to judge you. But you do not hit a man you love, Virgil."

Virgil tensed, body moving to the defensive. "You don't know  _any-"_

"Do not let my son throw all of the punches for you. He has his own battles to fight."

Before Virgil could say anything, The woman pulled the last cup of coffee from the drink carrier, the one he had assumed was for her, and handed it to him. "He got you two."

Virgil took it in his free hand, and couldn't help the smile that grew across his face.

The smile that quickly fell as he walked back toward the cafeteria, and saw Alastor waiting for him, lips curled into a faux-sweet smile that never meant anything good. He steeled himself and pulled his hood back up as he walked toward his normal seat.

"V, Honey, we need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, if youve read this far i thrive off of comments and feedback and i love you all sm!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's laser tag day! Isn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay okay ik this is out later than i said it would be buttt hear me out  
> 1 this is a weird subject for me to write ab lmao  
> 2 i recently went thru a tough breakup and its taken its toll on me  
> 3 theres a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter that i rlly wanted to get right
> 
> ok so: tw this chapter does talk about periods and dysphoria, as well as extreme period cramps (which are not normal there is rlly something wrong with virgil whether he admits it or not)
> 
> anyway!! i hope yall enjoy!!!!!!

"Listen, Darling, you know I'd never hurt you on purpose." Alastor was sat next to Virgil, an arm wound around his waist.

Virgil had never more trapped in his life than he did in that moment.

"I'm sorry, Virge. I just want to keep you safe." Virgil didn't have to look over to see the tears streaming down Alastor's face; he could hear them in his choked voice.

Virgil kept himself silent, not daring to look in his boyfriend's direction in case his eyes gave away something his mouth could not bring itself to. He fought down the urge to contradict; the nagging voice inside of him insisting that Alastor would  _kill_ him, and he realized with a jolt that that worry was no longer a figurative. He realized that he was afraid that Alastor would quite literally kill him in a fit of rage.

So Virgil kept quite and meek and nodded without ever looking up from the ground.

"I love you, Virginia." For the first time, Virgil wasn't sure he believed him.

\--

The next day, Virgil started his morning routine in a rare but welcome good mood. It was Friday, which meant, no matter what Alastor's thoughts on the matter were, it was the day in which Patton had invited him to play laser tag.

And maybe that was a cavalier attitude toward someone who he had just decided would kill him given the chance, but Virgil had never done anything like this before; had never had anyone to do it with, except maybe Remy when he had been younger. So he was going to play laser tag with Patton, and he'd deal with the consequences later.

He stretched, and cut off his yawn with a grimace at the sharp pain in his abdomen. Not an unusual pain, but still a disappointing one. Putting one foot carefully on the ground, Virgil ground his teeth together before working up the courage to take a small step toward the bathroom, whimpering softly at the pain it caused. His hand pressed gently at his abdomen as he made his way slowly to the bathroom, already dreading what he knew he was going to find.

Upon reaching the bathroom, Virgil didn't even check, simply sighed in defeat and reached underneath the sink for a pad, only for his hand to come back empty. He asked himself silently if his day could get any worse before wadding up some toilet paper in his underwear and wishing not for the first time, that he had a car instead of just a bike to get places. The sun outside was just starting to rise, so Virgil figured that he had time to go to the supermarket to get eggs too, seeing as Ellie had just complained that they were out.

He could mostly ignore the pain in his abdomen, gritting his teeth through the worst of it, but that didn't stop the sick feeling in his stomach that always seemed to pop up around this time. The unpleasant reminder that his body was completely betraying him at every turn it got.

Riding the bike was the easy part, he realized once he had to walk into and throughout the store, each motion somehow making the pain worse than it was before. Almost as soon as he was in the right aisle, Virgil got hit by a wave of pain that had him doubling over, hand pressed against his stomach as he clenched his teeth against it.

He didn't even hear the approaching footsteps until it was too late.

"Verge? Oh my god, are you okay?" Virgil highly suspected that the only reason he could hear the voice was because of the hand that had been placed on his back, grounding him. He wasn't entirely sure whether he hated the feeling of loved it, but he was sure that he was going to feel absolutely humiliated by whoever it was.

He stumbled back a bit, just enough to get out of touching range, before taking one deep breath and slowly drawing himself back up despite the pain. He found the most striking green eyes looking back at him, worry evident. "Are you okay?"

And there was something about sounding worried while simultaneously sounding as though you would be willing to punch someone if need be that was so undeniable and unequivocally  _Roman_ that Virgil couldn't suppress the small smile that made its way onto his face. 

"Stand down, Princey, I'm all good."  The statement was probably undermined by the fact that his voice was wavering, pain subsiding just enough that he felt like he could move again.

Roman's frown seemed to deepen. "You're in pain! What did he do to you?"

Virgil had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Listen, he didn't  _do_ -"

"You don't have to defend him, Virgil!"

"Roman, I'm  _bleeding_!" Virgil regretted it as soon as it came out off his mouth, and he saw Roman tense up in anger. Virgil's eyes immediately started searching for an exit.

When Roman spoke next, his voice was deathly quiet. "He made you bleed?"

Almost certain that the mortification would kill him, Virgil gestured to the items in the aisle around him. "No one made me bleed, but I'm bleeding." He gritted his teeth, hoping he could finally get through Roman's thick skull.

The way Roman's face went beet red sent a weird mixture of relief and embarrassment through him, though he maintained a glare that he felt sent a clear message. "Okay, now you know, so just-" Virgil's mouth snapped shut as he clenched his teeth against another wave of pain, eyes screwing shut.

"This much pain isn't normal, Charlie Frown."

"What the hell would you even know about this, Doctor Do-The-Most?" Virgil sneered back through his clenched teeth.

"I have two mothers,  _Virgil."_ Virgil had to concede the point, but it didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

"Yeah, well, I'd rather be talking about literally anything else."

Roman huffed a bit before turning to look at the shelves, ears still pink. "What kind do you- you know..."

Virgil hid his face in his hands, suddenly hoping that someone would come hold the store up so he could avoid this conversation entirely. "I don't know; I just- pick one."

"Very helpful, Verge." Roman's eyes scanned the shelves, catching on one particular box that he grabbed, turning it over in his hands before he seemed to be satisfied. "Did you need anything else?"

"Just eggs," Virgil mumbled, eager to get to any aisle other than the one he was on.

"Perfect! Mamì sent me out to get milk because, and I quote, 'if I have to see your mother eat cereal with water one more time I'm going to leave her.'" Virgil scoffed a bit as Roman continued to prattle on, able to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach for just a while longer.

As it turns out, a while longer is only until they reach the checkout station, where the clerk takes one look at the light purple box and shoots Roman a look that already has the colour draining out of Virgil's face. "Your girlfriend's time of the month, huh?" He asks, gesturing towards Virgil, who's already hunched in on himself.

The smile Roman flashes him is something Virgil's seen a million times, all charm and empty charisma, but with an added coldness that he hadn't been expecting. "Mine, actually. Poor  _Virgil_ here has to deal with me, I'm afraid." 

Roman stresses his name in a way that makes Virgil feel something warm in his chest, small smile barely taking shape on the edges of his lips.

The clerk doesn't say anything after that.

As if it weren't bad enough that Roman had insisted on paying for Virgil's groceries, by the time Virgil got out to the parking lot he had already stashed Virgil's bicycle in the bed of his truck, looking for all the world like he was ready to stand his ground.

Maybe it was a testament to his shitty mood, but Virgil really didn't feel like fighting him on it, only sliding in the passenger seat, drawing his knees up to his chest in a way that made him feel more secure, and typing in his address into google maps.

"What if that wasn't my bike?"

Roman raised an eyebrow at him as he got into the seat next to him. " _Is_ it your bike?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

Roman cut him off with a shrug. "You ride it to school enough; I know what it looks like."

It wasn't until Virgil noticed the blush creeping up Roman's neck that he understood the implication, and found it wasn't an implication that he disliked at all. Rather, it was one that made his heart flip and butterflies fill his stomach.

The five minute drive was filled mostly with companionable silence, Roman humming some Disney song under his breath periodically, until they arrived, and Virgil slid out of his seat, taking his bag letting Roman walk his bike to the front door.

He gave Roman a half wave that he was absolutely sure made him look ridiculous, and almost convinced himself he was in the clear, before Roman said something from behind him that made his blood run cold.

"Could I come in?"

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos ensues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i have no clue why this fic blew up like it did this last chapter, but i am so so overwhelmed by the support. seriously i love yall and ppl who comment and leave kudos and just generally consume my content make me so so happy like,, yall are the reason i write lmao. ALSO i forgot ab that not i put at the end on that first chapter and lemme tell yall i confused for a hot second why ppl were telling me my fic didnt suck like,, not exactly high praise but thanks. anyWAY without further ado, i give you the next installment.

Standing on his own doorstep, suddenly cold despite the warm weather, it occurred to Virgil that he could say no. He could tell Roman to piss off, and that would be the end of it, he was certain. But was that really what he wanted? He knew saying no now would close a hundred doors for him and, while he didn't want to infringe on a relationship he had no right to, Virgil couldn't stand losing the opportunity. Maybe it was selfish, but Virgil didn't think he could live without that tiny, unreachable sliver of hope.

So Virgil turned, eye's meeting Roman's, and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Alright, just- you can't- look, you'll understand when you get in there, but you can't tell anyone. About- about any of it, okay?"

The confusion in Roman's face was clear as day, and Virgil thought he would spontaneously combust if Roman asked him any questions. Roman seemed to get the hint.

He simply nodded, though the confusion didn't seem to lessen at all. Virgil closed his eyes briefly and took a breath before opening the door and walking in, not hazarding a look behind him to see if Roman was following.

After putting the eggs in the fridge, Virgil turned to the far right cabinet, opening it to take out a rectangular pill case, opening the slot that read "FRIDAY AM," and dumping four pills into his hand. He got a glass of water and walked toward his mom's room, only acknowledging Roman once he was right outside the door, eyes down and voice uncharacteristically soft. 

"Stay here, please." He didn't check to see if Roman followed his instructions before walking into the room, shaking his mother lightly to wake her.

She squinted at Virgil blearily. "Vernon?"

Virgil smiled despite the heat behind his eyes. "Yeah. Sit up? You need to take your pills."

She scowled at him, a look that made Virgil want to shrivel up and die, even as he knew it wasn't meant for him. "I don't take pills."

"Yeah, you do. Come on, please?" Virgil knew that if she was in a mood, there was very little that could be done, but he still had to try.

"Vernon, I told you. I don't want to take them!"

"Mom, please." He heard his own voice crack, but couldn't find it in himself to worry about it.

Her eyes narrowed, and she looked so confused and so  _scared,_ and Virgil couldn't help but let out a sob; placing the pills and water on the nightstand next to her bed, Virgil brushed past Roman on his way out, barely making it to his room before he shut the door behind him and sank to his knees, tears finally falling between wrenched sobs. He knew he was being ridiculous; that today of all days was not the day to break down, but he suddenly couldn't help it. All of the feelings he had shoved to the back of his mind came out, and Virgil was powerless to stop them.

Virgil wasn't sure how much time had passed when he stopped crying, just staring at the wall in front of him. He felt as though he had emptied the well only to find that he had already drowned in it. Virgil felt empty.

The door behind him squeaked open, but Virgil didn't bother to look, only acknowledging Roman with the barest hint of a nod when he sat down next to him.

"Who's Vernon?"

Virgil wasn't sure he was ready to tell that part of the story. He wasn't sure he could bare not telling it anymore.

"My father."

Roman simply nodded, still looking at the wall. He knew there was more to it than that, but he wasn't going to push. And maybe that's what tipped the scale in Virgil's mind.

"They were soulmates. They were so happy when I was growing up, never apart from each other longer than they had to be. They were what I thought love looked like. When I was eleven, my mom started getting really sick. They wouldn't tell us much, but she was always at the hospital, and she was always trying new pills and shots and all that shit."

He looked over at Roman, who was still staring at the wall, content to take the story in, and cautiously leaned his head against the other's shoulder.

"I think it broke him. Seeing her like that, and there was nothing he could do. I think it broke him. It broke us all. But he was only one who left. We were all broken, and  _he's_ the one who got to leave."

He struggled to talk past the lump in his throat. "She thinks I'm him sometimes. Being her son isn't enough anymore. It's never going to be enough."

Virgil blinked hard against the tears that were threatening to spill once again, glancing at the clock on his wall and almost not caring that he would miss his bus if he didn't hurry. Almost.

"I have to get to school." He stood slowly, wincing against the pain that had picked the perfect time to resurface.

"Virgil, you're not going to school." Roman had an incredulous look on his face, like he couldn't believe Virgil would even bring it up, and yeah, it might have pissed Virgil off a bit, but he could hardly think beyond the pain.

He made a mental note to text Logan about when the debate was before sighing in defeat. "Fine, just, let me get to bed before you leave."

Roman seemed to pull himself up to his full height, ready for an argument. "I'm not leaving."

Narrowing his eyes, Virgil scoffed lightly. "This is  _my_ house, Princey."

"You're sick!"

"I can take care of myself."

"But I'm a Prince! It is my  _duty_ to aid damsels in distress!"

Virgil knew the exact second Roman realized what he had said, saw his own hurt and shock echoed back to himself. "Wait, Virgil, I didn't-"

"Get out."

It was suddenly hard to breathe, let alone talk, but Virgil couldn't focus on anything other than the acute awareness that he had been so,  _so_ wrong about whether he could trust Roman.

"I-"

" _Now._ " Virgil was certain that if he looked into Roman's eyes he'd start crying all over again, so he just kept his head down, trying frantically to regulate his own breathing.

The sound of a door closing behind muted footsteps was the only answer.

He wasn't quite sure why he was upset. It wasn't as though he hadn't expected it, but for some reason, Virgil had let himself cling to a tiny piece of delusion, as if somehow he could ever be accepted by the people most meant to accept him but least likely to willingly do so.

He was upset, though. He wanted to forget everything about Roman that made him so amazing. He wanted to forget his soft smile and booming laugh. 

Virgil wished he had never had soulmates in the first place.

\--

It was going to be a long day, Virgil realized, sitting in his math class after he had downed four Ibuprofen and hauled ass to get to the bus on time. It was going to be a long, dismal day, and Virgil already felt like crawling back to his bed and sleeping for about ten years. He wondered briefly if it was possible to put himself in a coma, but shoved the thought away as soon as it came. He didn't need the hospital bills.

Patton was casting him worried glances all class, so he knew he must have really looked like shit, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He felt as though he were floating, watching himself from miles away, apathetic to the goings on of his normal, everyday life.

More than anything, though, Virgil was tired. He was so, so tired.

\--

If you were to ask Patton Walker why, exactly, he had taken so quickly to the shy, emo kid in his math class, he wouldn't be able to give an answer. He knew he liked that soft, shy smile that barely ever made an appearance, that he thought the small blush that sometimes crept onto his cheeks was adorable, and that he was incredibly, irreversibly smitten. 

He also knew that the look on Virgil's face at that moment was leaving him heartbroken.

There was no word more apt to describe it than complete and total desolation, as if someone taken every bit of joy from him. The thought made Patton's stomach turn. He knew about the rather "complicated" relationship that he was in (Patton thought it was pretty cut and dry, but Virgil insisted), and could see no other answer as to what could have led to this level of heartbreak. 

He quietly decided that it was time he fixed the issue.

\--

Logan didn't have all of the information, true, but he did know that Roman had become distressed. The last text he had gotten from him had been one about medical reasons behind severe abdominal pain ("Virgil looks like hes in a lot of pain, I don't know what's wrong"). And, yes, he had taken a while to reply, but Roman had stopped replying completely, only breaking his supposed vow of silence to drop out of laser tag that afternoon.

It was uncharacteristic; Roman loved "date nights," as he called them (Logan thought that was a bit ridiculous, laser tag wasn't a date), and he knew how upset Patton would be to hear that he didn't want to go.

The last person Logan could place him with was Virgil, and it stood reason that something had occurred between the two of them. And it wasn't that he didn't trust Virgil, only that he had definite trust in Roman, which meant that Virgil had upset his soulmate.

Logan didn't particularly like sadness. It was a messy emotion, and there was very little he could do to make it go away. Anger, though? Anger was a feeling he knew intimately, something that burned bright but short, easy to get rid of. He let all of his sadness at Roman's state morph into anger, something bittersweet, and far more volatile.

\--

Virgil went through the first part of his day in a haze, barely present enough to make it past roll call. He wasn't entirely certain he was even there in the first place, only vaguely aware that he wasn't in his bed and he wasn't at work.

He wasn't content, per say, but he was distant enough from himself that he wasn't distraught either, just floating somewhere in that happy middle. He wondered idly if this was how it felt to be high. Maybe he'd take up cocaine as a hobby.

He was resigned to being outside of himself throughout the day, until he came crashing down.

It felt like Logan was glaring daggers at him, and really he should have expected it. If Roman was going to drop the act, it stood to reason that they all would. Patton was only being nice, not wanting to deal with Virgil's hysterics.

"Virgil." Virgil almost scoffed at that. So insignificant yet so telling.

"You don't have to call me that." He drew himself further into his hoodie, wishing he could hide from the rest of the world.

Logan seemed to ignore the comment. "Did you have a good time with Roman this morning?"

Virgil bristled at that. "Would you lay  _off?_ "

"Would  _you_ stop being so- so-"

Virgil felt angrier than he had any right to be. "I'm not being  _anything,_ Logan. It's just who I am, and if you don't like it, there's the fucking door," he gestured to the classroom door to illustrate his point, vaguely aware that he was being louder than was strictly necessary.

Logan's scowl deepened. "Well then who you are is, quite frankly, not someone I find to be particularly palatable."

"Great! I never asked you guys to play nice or whatever, you did that on your own. Maybe next time, don't pretend to be cool with something you're obviously not cool with." He snatched his bag up, turning on his heel and storming out of the room, the first signs of a panic attack already smothering him.

And it wasn't until he was long gone that Logan had simmered down enough to replay the conversation in his head, his blood running cold as he realized his own miscalculation, his own grievous mistake.

\--

Patton used no such logic or deductions to come to his conclusion; he just ran in, head first, content to give Alastor a piece of his mind at let the dust settle where it may. And yeah, it may not have been the soundest plan, but it was the best one he could currently think up. (Which maybe wasn't saying much, but it wasn't fair, Logan was so much  _better_ at this than him).

He really had very little clue as to where Alastor normally was during the day, so it had to wait until fourth period, when the two of them had Government together. 

The only thought he had upon seeing the aforementioned man was that he looked far calmer than he had any right to be. How dare he be calm and collected when Virgil looked like he had been broken into a thousand tiny pieces. His hands curled into fists at his sides, and before he knew it, he was standing right in front of Alastor, glaring at him despite being a good couple of inches shorter than him.

"What did you do." It was a statement, or maybe it was a challenge, but it definitely wasn't a question.

 Alastor look toward him, unimpressed with languid movements, and blinked. "What are you going on about?"

Patton's resolve only seemed to double down. "He's so  _sad;_ it has to be because of you!"

An eyebrow raise was all of the answer he got.

"Virgil! He's upset because of you!"

Alastor's expression did change then, to something slightly calculating. Patton felt as though he was being looked at like a problem to solve, and it was a feeling that chilled him.

"I don't know anything about that behavior, Walker." His eyes had shifted toward the door, as though he were ready to flee at a moment's notice. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have something I must attend to."

Patton couldn't help the dread pooling in his stomach.

\--

Virgil barely made it past the door before the panic attack hit him full force, and he ducked into a supply closet, away from prying eyes. He briefly entertained the thought of calling someone, but who? Who was left in the world who did not hate him?

His soulmates had finally realized that he was no good for them, and there was only one other person that Virgil could think of, but-

"I thought you might be in here, Virginia."

And Virgil looked up from his place on the floor, curled into a shivering ball, to look into Alastor's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall: omg roman is so sweet  
> me, already typing: haha yeah...


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the shit hits the fan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO this took a long time and i am still not satisfied with the way it came out (i will never be satisfied), but its a crucial chapter and it cant be pushed back any longer so here ya go

"I thought you might be in here, Virginia."

The cold, cruel voice sent chills up Virgil's spine. He looked into Alastor's eyes and for a moment he convinced himself he saw something akin to love, and, just for a moment, it was enough. He took the hand outstretched to him, using it to pull himself up shakily, and promptly burst into tears, hiding his face in Alastor's chest.

Alastor ran a hand up and down his back, humming lightly. "I told you they would only hurt you, Virginia."

He wanted to be mad, but he was  _so_ tired.

He simply nodded, pleased to be in the arms of anyone who actually loved him, even if that love wasn't entirely harmless. He had to be grateful for what scraps of affection he did receive, what little mundanities could be taken as love. It shattered him so irreversibly to think that he had been so ungrateful.

Alastor kissed the top of his head, a gestured that reminded Virgil a bit of Patton, and he had to shove the thought away as soon as it came; it only made his stomach flip in an unpleasant manner. Leaning down to whisper in Virgil's ear, Alastor asked, "Why don't we get out of here?"

Virgil didn't know if he wanted to go, but he didn't think he truly had a choice, so he only nodded his assent.

Alastor, for his part, didn't seem to pose Virgil any threat at the moment, calmly leading him toward the school's door, with his own hand in Virgil's. He felt  _safe._ And maybe it was a false sense of security, but it was a sense of security nonetheless; he had never had any doubt where he stood with Alastor. Things were simple, and that was enough.

\--

As it turns out, Virgil had nothing to worry about. Alastor's home was as comfy as it had always been, and they watched Black Cauldron from underneath a blanket on Alastor's bed. Virgil didn't think he had been quite this at ease with Alastor in as long as he could remember. It was enough to make him text Patton to cancel laser tag (and yes, that was a little bit because he didn't think he could face them, but it was also because he felt so at home).

When Alastor had read the text over his shoulder, he had pursed his lips slightly, eyes taking on a steely facade, but had said nothing more on the subject, which Virgil counted as a win. Virgil wasn't sure how much time had passed until he looked at the clock to see that it was nearing midnight, which meant that he wasn't going to be getting any sleep that night, but he still thought that he ought to head home, and he told Alastor as much.

The pout he got in response was almost endearing, besides the steel walls still in place behind his eyes. "Let me get you a cup of tea before you go." It didn't sound like a suggestion and Virgil could have sworn there was danger lurking just beneath the surface. He felt his mouth go dry and nodded, despite everything in him begging him to leave.

Alastor led him into the kitchen, sitting him down at the dining room table before turning to make the tea. Virgil's leg bounced up and down as he chewed absentmindedly on his bottom lip, going through the night trying to figure out where he went wrong and how to rectify the situation. Before he knew it though, Alastor was back with two steaming mugs of tea, placing one in front of Virgil and the other in front of himself.

Virgil ran his thumb over a chip in the ceramic before lifting the mug to his lips and taking a small sip. It warmed his stomach and tasted like chamomile, and a bit soapy, as though the last person to wash it hadn't gotten it completely rinsed out. He smiled at the sensation anyway, feeling oddly satiated as the warmth pooled in his empty stomach.

There was about twenty minutes of tense silence, during which they both drank their tea and Alastor seemed to watch him like a hawk. Something was off, but he was calm anyway. Even that felt off somehow.

Once he had finished his cup, he stood to leave, earning no resistance from Alastor this time; he simply continued to watch Virgil, head cocked slightly to the right, as he stood from the chair- and promptly fell directly back into it. His head was spinning, and he felt as though he might puke. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head against the unpleasant feeling.

"Are you quite alright, Virginia?" 

Virgil opened his mouth but no words came out, the only thing he was completely aware of was the cold tile under his back, and when had he laid down on the floor? The was a face above him that Virgil had to focus very hard on to register at all.

The face sent him a smile that made his blood run cold.

"You were so  _eager_ to see them, Virginia;  I thought I'd let you. Maybe now you'll understand who truly loves you."

And then darkness enveloped Virgil like a blanket.

It was dark only for a moment, before he was pulled toward that familiar, dreadful place, panic setting into his bones as he came face to face with the objects of his affection, the objects of his horror.

Roman, Patton, and Logan stared at him in shock as he was pulled into their dream. 

\---

Virgil couldn't hear beyond the ringing in his ears; couldn't breathe through his own panic, but the one thing he could make out clearly was the looks on their faces. Roman and his barely concealed anger, Patton with his pity and condescension. And Logan. Logan, whose expression was unreadable, and that was what terrified Virgil the most. He felt like his heart had never known this pain before.

His knees hit the floor as shame burned in his chest. His lungs refused to bring him any air until he was gasping around sobs and his hands were buried in his hair.

Patton was the first one to speak.

"Virgil?"

The only response he could give was another sob and he clawed desperately at his neck as if he could open it up and  _breathe._ He knew people were talking but he couldn't concentrate on anything but the fact that he felt as though he was going to die.

"What the  _hell,_ Virgil?" It was Roman's voice that broke through and made Virgil flinch away violently.

"Roman why don't you take a second to-" Another voice, soft and warm. Patton.

"No! He- he can't just- Mierda, este está jodido y he kept it from us this long? That's- I don't even know how-"

"Roman, that is  _enough._ " This voice was loud, angry, and Virgil flinched away from the sound, his body tensing up on instinct.

He felt something wet run down his neck and realized that he had scratched it raw trying to get air into his lungs. His whole body was shaking as he vaguely heard someone walk up to him and crouch down with a soft grunt. His gasps became more frantic as he tried desperately to prepare himself for whatever happened.

But what happened was... nothing. The presence started talking, softly but loud enough that it could cut through his panic.

"Virgil, are you familiar with the myth of Delphinus?" 

Virgil shook his head slightly, wondering where this tangent had come from.

"Well, it begins with Airon, a very wealthy and famous man from Lesbos. He lived in Italy for some time before deciding to board a ship and visit his home. While on the ship, the sailors became jealous of him and planned to murder him.  Airon learned of the plot and asked if he might be permitted to play his lute before he was to be put to his death. 

"The sailors assented, and he began to play. As he played, however, a number of dolphins swam up and surrounded the boat. Airon, knowing he would die were he to stay on the ship, jumped into the water and was brought to land by one of the dolphins. Zeus heard of the tale and placed Delphinus in the sky to honor them."

By the time Logan was finished with the story, Virgil's attention had shifted and he felt his chest grow a little less heavy, though he still didn't entirely understand why he had been told it. And now Logan was looking at him expectantly and he knew he was supposed to respond somehow, but what quite sure what Logan wanted, so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"That's fucking stupid."

Logan cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"Well, I mean, like, the dolphins don't care about the stars, they never see them anyway they're always under water."

"Interesting point. What do you believe should have been done, then?"

"I don't know, he could have given them a gift, I guess? Like gave them the ability to walk on land or to speak."

Logan nodded and looked him over once before nodding. "Your physical state seems significantly less distressed." 

Virgil tensed up again, eyes locked on the ground, as he awaited the punishment. He knew what was coming next.

"I think we should address the elephant in the room, so to speak."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, yeah its terrible and very poorly written but i have a total of 2 brain cells and they are both interested in a very cute boy im talking to at the moment sooo


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whats this?? this isnt an abandoned fic?

"I think we should address the elephant in the room, so to speak." Innocent, even calming words that sparked a fear in Virgil beyond reason. His entire body began shaking.

"V, look at me." Something about Logan's voice had always had an almost hypnotizing effect on Virgil, and he found himself raising his head to stare into clear blue eyes. They were the kind of beautiful that could make a dead man weep, and Virgil could see the disappointment there. The kind of disappointment he would only ever bring to the table.

"Why are you here?" He flinched at the question; at what he knew was really being implied. 'We don't want you here,' ringing loud and clear through the words. Logan seemed to take a moment to rethink. "What I meant was, you have never willingly showed yourself before, and you did not seem mentally ready to face us. Did you faint? Or perhaps accidentally fall asleep?" The thought was almost comical, that Virgil, who had spent the better part of a year learning how not to accidentally fall asleep may have made such a mistake.

It would have been comical, if it didn't remind Virgil of why he was here. Of what had gone so horribly wrong. Suddenly the space around him felt too small.

"I- Alastor, he-" He couldn't bring himself to say it, because then it was true. Because if he said it out loud, then that meant he had to face the reality of what had happened to him; the horrible aftermath of what he had been through.

Logan took a deep breath, and Virgil could see Roman behind him, fiery eyes trained on him as he clenched his teeth. Virgil knew anger when he saw it, and it was something he would rather not deal with just yet. He stared at the floor instead.

"Virgil." It was a softer voice, a voice that Virgil almost instantly recognized as  _safe._ Patton. "What did he do?"

He pulled at his own hair and shook his head, the only sound in the room seemed to be his laboured breathing. He had never felt more raw, more vulnerable, these people knew something that no one else did, something they could use against him. So he would keep this piece close to his heart. He would keep himself safe, even if it killed him.

Roman had not spoken since that first outburst, but now he knelt next to Logan, careful to keep the anger from his voice. "I know you're scared, Virgil. And that you think we're going to turn on you if you make yourself weak," Roman's voice was tinged with sorrow, a realness that Virgil had never heard from him before. "You think we want to hurt you."

"Roman, I don't-" Patton tried to interject but there seemed to be a silent communication between the two wherein Patton agreed to hear him out.

"But, I promise, we don't. But there is someone who  _does_ want to hurt you, so I need to know, did Alastor drug you?" 

There's a tense few minutes during which Virgil isn't even sure whether he will be able to answer. In the end, it's all he can do to nod his head, and that's enough.

Roman's eyes are once again filled with fire in the span of a few seconds, and he begins pacing, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I'm going to kill him."

It's the kind of silent, simmering anger that makes Virgil tense, knowing it could at any time turn into bruises.

Another silent conversation goes on, but between Patton and Logan. It makes Virgil ache for the spot in the relationship that he never really had. And then Logan is moving, and Virgil barely has a chance to process that his only barrier against that quiet anger is gone before Patton takes his place, radiating sunshine in a way that only Patton can.

"Hey, Kiddo." His voice is soft, but not lacking his usual warmth in the slightest. "I know it's been a tough day, but Roman isn't angry at you." Virgil isn't entirely sure why Patton is saying this to him until he realizes that his entire body is shaking. Even now, he can barely turn his eyes from where Logan is attempting to calm Roman, albeit unsuccessfully. "Honey, he's just dramatic, that's all."

It's the nickname that forces his eyes away from Roman and to the angel sitting in front of him. A term of endearment Patton has used a million times before, but somehow it feels so much heavier now. It's enough to shock him out his panic.

"Alright. Now Logan and I are going to go over to his house, and call the police, okay? Roman's going to stay here with you." The panic set in again, but Virgil didn't have time to let it sink in before Roman himself was shouting.

"No way! I am not going to sit here while that  _comemierda-_ "

"Roman! Now is not the time for you to go busting in there and potentially putting Virgil in more danger because you got angry. We both know you would be hard pressed to stop yourself from physical assault and that is the  _last_ thing we need right now. You stay here."

The fight seemed to drain out of him. "You're right. I'll stay."

Logan, who looked more than ready for a fight, straightened his already severe posture. "Good. That's- That's very sensible of you."

"Yeah, whatever," Roman sighed. "Just go, Calculator Watch."

The next thing he knows, Virgil is alone with Roman, which is just about the last place he wants to be at the moment. Virgil flinches when he moves, but all he does is sit down, still a good few feet away from him.

"I'm sorry I scared you." Roman's voice seems burst through the uneasy silence that had settled over them. "I'm not mad at you, not really. I'm mad at Alastor."

Virgil knows he shouldn't disagree, arguing only leads to more trouble, but he still has to object. "You were angry before you knew about that."

"I-" Roman sighs deeply. "Alright, I'm confused and a bit annoyed, but not _mad_ , persay. At least not at you."

"Who else? It's my fault."

"I'm mad at myself." Virgil almost wants to laugh at that, it sounds so ridiculous to him. "You didn't feel comfortable coming to us, and that has to have something to do with me, right? I can't see what I did wrong and it frustrates me."

"Princey-"

"And don't say I didn't do anything. I'm always messing up with you. You haven't talked to me all day because of what happened at your house."

Virgil scoffs and feels something tighten in his chest. "Well, I'm sorry to be such a burden."

"Virgil, no, that's not what I-"

"You think dealing with me is hard? I have to deal with me all the time! I know I'm difficult, okay? And if I could just stop, I would. I would love to just be some 'damsel' like you obviously want me to be, but it just isn't me."

There was a silence that stretched too long. "You can't actually think that-?"

Virgil squared his shoulders, glaring directly at Roman. "You don't have to act like you're okay with something when you're obviously not. But I won't apologize."

Something in Roman's expression shattered. "I'm going to take my shirt off now."

It was almost enough to shock the anger out of Virgil. "What- look I know you're very proud, but is now really the best time?"

Roman chuckled but it seemed hollow, full of sadness. He lifted his shirt above his head to reveal two giant mirrored scars across his chest.

"Roman," Virgil was still staring, but Roman hadn't removed his eyes from the ground, something vulnerable in his expression that he wasn't used to sharing. "You didn't have to-"

"It was never my intention to cause you pain. Especially a pain that that I am very familiar with." He yanked his shirt back down, as though he could forget about his momentary vulnerability if it were gone soon enough.

"Princey-"

It was this moment that Logan and Patton decided to rejoin the group. "Virgil, I think there's something you should know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, i love yall so much! leave a comment if you enjoyed it, they mean the world to me and good luck on exams!

**Author's Note:**

> if you read this far pls drop a comment even if its just to say "hey your fic sucks" cause like,,, ik but i still crave that sweet sweet validation daddy.
> 
> also, just for reading this far i have a tiny lil drabble inspired by my favourite gay disaster [UncomfortableDuck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScreamingJuiceBox/pseuds/Uncomfortable%20Duck) (god i hope this link shit works)
> 
>  
> 
> Roman smiled down at the text on his phone, cheeks stained pink as his eyes lit up. "Lo, guess what Virgil just texted me!"
> 
> Logan furrowed his brow. "What- what sort of guessing game is this? How am I to know what has been texted to your phone without any prior knowledge of the conversation? I don't- I don't understand."
> 
> Roman only rolled his eyes, cramming himself into the love seat beside Logan. His screen was lit up with an incoming text.
> 
> "Emo Nightmare: Hey, Princey. Heard there was a fire near you. Just wanted to make sure your house didn't burn down, I guess."
> 
> Logan let out a small sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Roman, he... simply asked whether you had died in a fire. That... can't be where the bar is."
> 
> Roman grinned at the incredulous look on his friend's face, stretching himself over his lap in a movement not unlike a cat. "I'm a gay disaster, Specs. Get used to it."


End file.
